


Opaque

by Skysquid22



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Couch Cuddles, Deviant Upgraded Connor | RK900, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Reed900wintergiftexchange19, Sleepy Cuddles, Soft Gavin Reed, Soft Upgraded Connor | RK900, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Has Feelings, this is my first time writing completely in present tense so whoops if its awkward
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:40:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22124998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skysquid22/pseuds/Skysquid22
Summary: It’s hard to see your own opacity.-Nines comes home to cuddle Gavin and learns a lesson and consequence of deviancy, as it turns out, Nines wasn't as clever as he thought he was.
Relationships: Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 9
Kudos: 171
Collections: Reed900WinterGiftExchange19





	Opaque

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mothmanwashere](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mothmanwashere/gifts).



> This is a gift for mothmanwashere who requested soft Nines and some equally as soft Gavin. Luckily I consider fluff as my specialty so I hope you enjoy this! 
> 
> \---
> 
> o·paque  
> /ōˈpāk/
> 
> adjective
> 
> not able to be seen through; not transparent.

Not accounting for windchill, it was twelve degrees Fahrenheit with a small snow flurry passing through the streets of Detroit. Recent weather updates Nines gathered from towers said the storm was to continue through the night so expect delays on your Saturday morning outing. 

He glares at the grey slush piling up on the sides of the roads and paired with the similarly drab blanket of clouds above, winter was starting to lose its initial wonder. A blanket of soundless white was pretty and unlike any other experience, Nines has seen so far. Too bad it’s consistently short-lived. Perhaps, Nines thinks as he climbs the brownstone, that was a part of the beauty. 

The lobby and the rest of the building was marginally warmer, but still cold by human standards. Nines pins a mental note to ask the building manager about the heat problem and to propose moving to Gavin. 

One minute and forty-two seconds later, Nines enters their apartment. Just a few yards away Gavin is laying back into the corner of the couch, curled up into a ball of blankets. He looks like he was encased in a cocoon, only his head poking out of the wrap. Gavin tears his bagged eyes briefly away from the film, _It’s a Wonderful Life_ , and sleepily gazes at Nines putting his long black wool coat next to Gavin’s brown trench coat. “Where have you been?” He squints, voice sounding raw from being underused. 

“Traffic held me up.” It wasn’t a complete lie, traffic was slower than the average commute from Deserie’s Jewelers to the apartment, but his time away was not at New Jericho like he said. 

At 4:41 pm Connor proposed to leave work early and saying that he needed to run a few errands at New Jericho with the main mission getting gifts for their spouses afterward. The only reason Nines agreed to it in the first place was because work was slow enough and he had already finished everything he could do. Gift shopping was a better use of his time rather than trying to look busy. 

Connor told Hank he needed to go to New Jericho and was taking Nines with him. Gavin was within earshot so, in the end, neither was bothered by their leave. While the expedition was overall better use of his time it also was efficient to do it then rather than over the weekend. While they aren’t “attached at the hip” as Tina likes to tease, it is true that they spend a lot of time together. Sleeping, eating, watching films, working out, _working,_ the list goes on. When Gavin leaves, he usually always goes to Tina’s and Nines would always go to Connor’s. 

The problem lay with Nines, he did not like lying to Gavin. Ever. Not even telling Gavin the whole truth pinged an error on his HUD, but the scenario presented to him earlier in the day was better than trying to lie later. It was beneficial, Nines promised himself and pushed the knowledge of the ring in his coat pocket aside for now. 

Gavin sniffs and Nines brings his focus back. Oh, dear. He hoped he wasn’t staring and standing for too long to be considered awkward. Was 4.04 seconds too long? Recovering from his transgression, Nines walks behind the couch and lays his hands gently on the back, watching Gavin’s movie momentarily. George Bailey stumbles down a snow-swept street, but Nines isn’t all too interested in the film. Looking down he sees the serene picture of Gavin still bundled up, content, soft, comfortable, a rare sight that threatens to tug a grin on Nines and did when he sees one of his black turtlenecks being worn by his boyfriend. 

Nines lets himself smile. And then shoves his still freezing hand in the gap between Gavin’s neck and his blanket. 

Instantly Gavin chokes and makes a sound that Nines didn’t even know humans could produce. Gavin shrivels up and squirms at the contact, long after Nines has removed his hand. “Goddamn, phcking, _phck,_ fuck you.” Nines hums, pleased. Ever a fan of the dramatics, Gavin plays it up after shock passes. 

“You _asshole._ I hate you.”

“Uh, huh.” Nines coos as he walks towards their bedroom and away from the scene of the “crime”. 

“Fuck off,” Gavin hisses from the floor, “I’m gonna get you back for this. Sleep with one eye open babe, I know where you live.”

Their bedroom is dark, only bright silvery moonlight peeks through the curtains in slow flashes. Navigating on autopilot Nines heads for their closet and changes into a pair of sweatpants and an old soft shirt that was once was Gavins. There are only a few pieces of clothing of Gavins that fit Nines and it’s only the well-worn ones. The condition of his clothes matter to him, but Gavin seems to be the exception to every one of his rules. The design on the shirt is faded, there are holes at the seams, a stain or two imprinted on. Ugly, not useful, and disgusting. 

But it smells like Gavin. 

Gavin shoots him a glare when he walks back in, Nines meets him with a smirk and walks over to the couch. Huddled back on one side of the sofa Gavin sits, his face squinting in mock frustration akin to a disgruntled cat. Gingerly, and watching him carefully, Nines sits down on the other end and puts his hands on his lap. After a minute of letting Gavin fume, Nines moves closer to the middle and reaches a hand out to pull Gavin closer to him. 

Gavin pulls a hand out to lightly push his hand away, still stubbornly keeping his eyes on _It’s a Wonderful Life_. Nines huffs and tries again only to be pushed away again, “You are acting like a child, let me cuddle you.”

A snort escapes Gavin, a crack in his facade, but he manages to grumble out, “No.” without smiling too much. 

“This is doing you more harm than good, Gavin.” Nines reasons as he tries to brush a lock of loose hair out of Gavin’s eyes. 

Gavin takes care of it instead and turns to Nines with his ‘know-it-all’ grin. “Says you. I know how much you love to touch me.” Smug and cocky as always. 

Nines considers his options, runs the numbers, and attempts to factor in Gavin’s rationale. The result is always a gamble, but Nines has always loved a challenge. He doesn’t want to keep pushing Gavin, eventually, there will be a snap and it’s not healthy to keep pushing buttons at every opportunity. He let things lie as they were and instead laid back into the cushions to watch the movie with him. 

He’s disappointed sure, Nines found out soon after he turned deviant that he craved touch. But he’ll live, perhaps the lagging feeling in his processors could be chalked up to the lack of a full stasis in sixty-four days. He was just starting to feel the effects, not ‘touch-starved’ as Connor claimed. 

Beside Nines, Gavin grumbles and sighs dramatically. His cocoon unfolds and a hand shoots out to tug on Gavin’s old shirt, pulling Nines in. “Come on, you’re letting the heat out.” Gavin snarks. Letting Gavin manhandle him, Nines ends up pressed into his side moving the displaced blankets around to get them both comfortable. _Waiting him out,_ Nines didn’t factor that in but smiles, pleased at the unexpected result as he lies on top of Gavin. 

Gavin scoots so he’s laying down more and RK900 tucks into the space between the couch and his body. Gavin catches the lazy, smug grin and tries to cover the soft behavior by cracking another joke, “Yeah don’t look so cocky tincan, I’m using you because you’re a personal heater.”

Nines sees right through him, has since the first time Gavin tried to throw a fist to his face. The love and affection developed later, sure, but Nines knew from the start that everything was not what it seemed. Human emotion was messy, complex, useless to comprehend at times, but Gavin had a certain… something, to him that made Nines put the effort in being deviant. Gavin is like beautifully opaque glass. Surprisingly sharp, convoluted, and wondrous in a way most would abandon. 

Humans are unique, deviancy didn’t seem worth it until he found the intrigue. 

Gavin drags a hand through Nines’ hair, cutting his train of thought off. Drifting off again? He really needed to go to stasis soon. Gavin sighs and Nines measures the rise and fall of his chest. He notes the way the turtleneck hitches up slightly at his waist, allowing him to relish in tactile touches and marvel at the heat. They continue watching the movie, making remarks on themes, acting, plot, etc. enjoying that they could without interruption. After all, they watched this movie last year. 

—

Their movie ends at midnight and Gavin complains about the length of the film as Nines rises off the couch, bringing the blankets with him. Colder and more content, Gavin disappears to get ready for bed while Nines heads to their bedroom. He drops the blankets in a pile on the corner of the bed then walks over to the curtains and pulls them open. There. Not so drab anymore. 

The moon, neigh full, fills the room with wintery moonlight. Snow on the sill and streets reflect the light slightly, making it seem brighter than normal. _Right._ This is what he liked about winter. When it’s not cloudy, it’s brighter than any day of the year and when snow is untouched it softens the edges of the city somehow. 

Nines folds back the comforter and settles in leaving Gavin’s side, the side closest to the window, ready to be climbed in. Sure enough a moment later Gavin comes back in, messily takes off his turtleneck and throws it to the floor, and hops under the covers. Nines winces at the mistreatment of his— _no_ now _Gavin’s_ shirt. “Fuck.” He grips his biceps and curls closer to Nines, “I forgot how cold it always fucking is in this room.” 

Nines shifts up onto his forearm and grabs the pile of blankets on the corner, “That’s why we have all of these blankets.”

“And you. You always run hot.” Gavin opens his eyes and furrows his eyebrows. “Wait, you’re cool in the summer.”

Nines ignores the revelation. He folds the blankets over them and reclines, “I need to talk to your building manager. It’s been on my list of things to do since March.” He closes his eyes, ruining his view of the ceiling, “I keep pushing it back. I’m developing bad habits.”

“Nah.” Gavin tugs at Nines’ shoulder until he turns back to his side. “You’re just becoming more human.” He doesn’t say anything after that, just quietly goes to sleep. Nines decides to continue to follow in bad habits and put off his stasis for a minute.

Nines’ hand skims Gavin’s arm, sketching a fiery path from a bicep to his bruised knuckles. A trail from his hip and up his spine. Along the way, Nines thumbs Gavin’s scars. He has them cataloged already, but getting the pings in his HUD brings a sense of assurance that Gavin was here, with him. 

During the ministrations Gavin groggily opens one eye and squints at Nines. The light behind him catches his hair making it look fluffier than usual. Nines gets the sudden urge to run his fingers through it. Gavin gives a brief smile, but it fades away for him to murmur, “What’re you doin’?”

“Admiring you.” Nines replies, without hesitation, giving his own grin.

Gavin doesn’t smile back. He blows a breath through his nose, closes his eyes and buries his face into Nines’ shoulder. Hiding away from the light, hiding away from Nines, who picks up on the shift immediately. There’s tension in Gavin’s shoulders where there wasn’t before, where was the ease? What happened? While Nines’ system is buggy, it wouldn’t stop him from running simulation after simulation to find a way to make Gavin happy. 

It’s not the first time Nines doesn’t know what to do, he wishes that he knew more. The trade-off in becoming more deviant was learning more, but knowing less. Humans are predictable in a controlled environment. The RK900 line was created to transform any situation to one where they were in control, where human behavior turns into probability. But with _Gavin_ —Gavin ruins controlled settings, blazing his own path. Paired later with cathartic love, Nines gave up on control and followed naturally in line with Gavin

Consequence is that he has no clue on how to read Gavin sometimes or how to proceed. 

“Gavin?”

“Just get some sleep tincan.”

The programmed response of correcting ‘sleep’ is right on Nines’ tongue, but instead, he sits up slightly and pushes Gavin back onto his side so he could meet his eyes. Gavin looks at him, but his pinched face, still shoulders, and controlled breathing screams guarded. Direct approach, subtlety was for other humans and androids. “Gavin. I love you.”

He stares for a second, not changing anything in his presentation then Gavin folds up. A furious flush of red paints his cheeks and he squeezes his eyes a tad too tight to be natural. Gavin digs his face into his pillow hiding half his face, but he doesn’t completely shut himself off. Bolstered by it, Nines continues with his approach. 

“I care a lot about you, Gavin. And I will be right by your side.” Leans forward and gives a kiss to the edge of his thinned mouth. “I know you feel like you don’t deserve my love at times, but you need to know the growth you’ve had over our time together. You are worthy. You need to know this.”

Gavin drags a hand over his face and down to his neck where he rubs at the tender flesh there. “Oh my god, Nines…” He whines with a smile and opens his furrowed eyes. Is he embarrassed? Was that too much? “Nines—I just—you know I’m not good with this shit.” He waves his hand in a circle, “ _Emotions,_ expressing them. I just got overwhelmed, okay. I— _shit._ ” Gavin falls silent and Nines notices his crestfallen demeanor. It’s guilt. 

His hand returns to cover his face, “I get it. You don’t have to reassure me. You’re really cheesy when you say things like that.” The hand flops down onto the pillow, but he’s not looking at Nines. Gavin tries to undercut himself, “Touch all you want, y’know? Just, yeah.”

Ah. Nines had overreacted. 

He tries to not let his failure to understand the situation show on his face, yet somehow Gavin sees through _him_ and pulls Nines down back onto his side. Gavin throws an arm over his chest, entangles their legs, and uses his shoulder as a new pillow. His fingers tap an unknown rhythm on Nines’ breastbone. It’s not morse code, Nines did that once in a reverse situation, this pattern is either random or to the tune of some song. Either way, it’s out of his purview. 

Information presents itself to the forefront of his HUD and leaves a glaring observation. Gavin could see through _him_ , but as it seems that’s not true the other way around. What did deviancy win him? Love, but an inability to put it into words. Even though he could transmit his feelings accurately through androids, in the end, his liability didn’t matter. Gavin knew that he loved him, knew how to comfort him, knew how to talk to him. Nines was only right when he was thinking on the couch in the way he had an indescribable connection with Gavin, but it wasn’t because Nines knew how to read _him._

Nines purses his lips and buries a kiss in Gavin’s hair. Was it because Gavin knew him better than Nines knew himself? Or was it something completely different? Nines was happy to take years to find out why exactly they complemented each other so well. Maybe, he’ll never find out. Nines had to admit that Gavin was hard to see through, and harder to read. _Opaque,_ he smiles.

Gavin sighs, his drumming beat slowing down to small scratches. Nines holds on to Gavin’s elbow, measures the rise and fall of Gavin’s chest with his hand, and nuzzles Gavin’s unruly mess of hair as he slips into stasis.


End file.
